Refrigerator-counter.



J. B. MONETTE.

REFRIGERATOR COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1910.

985,626. Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

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Application filed; February 7, 1910. Serial no. 5424394.

To all whomitmay concern; I

Be it known that I, Josrrn B. Mour'r'rn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating-Counters, of, which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigeratingcounters, so-called; that is,- semir protected counters. at the class employed in markets and: stores for exhibiting provisions,- the counters at the same time beingprovided with means for producing therein a continuous circulation of air having a temperature materially lower than that of the surrounding outer or normal atmos here. I

' -e present invention consists essentially in the improved construction and arrangement of parts, the same when combined be ing adapted to produce a refrigeratin counter possessing a" greater degree of e ciency over others of this class. Moreover, the improved counter is simple in construetion, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, not liable to become accidentally inoperative, and the air circulation" is both positive and continuous or automatic.

4 In the accompanying two sheets of drawre 1 represents an end elevation of a refrigerating-counter embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a corresponding front elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional' view, in enlar ed scale, taken on line 3 3 of Fig, 2, showing the construction of the counter and the normal circulation of the cooling or refrigerating air. Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view, showingportions of the device positioned and adjusted so as to circulate the air downward from the main or uper counter-chamber into the basecham r; and Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the counter, taken on line 5 5 of Fig.3;

The eneral form, size and appearance of the re rigeratingcounter exteriorly is or may be substantially the same as other structures of this class. In my improved counter, the same is provided with an upper casing or show-case proper having a main chamber A, whose front and end walls con-- a.. It is also provided: with. a glass; top plate a the latter, as drawn, covering only Patented relies, 1911-,

sist of: suitably mounted glass plates wand a portion of the chainber.-. 'Ilhe floor b of a I,

the latter is hollow, its. front part having downward openings, 6 therethrough in open connection with the comparatively shallow, hollow portion orair-clrculatin passage 0. The bottom member, b oi sasi passage is or may be provided at or near'thefront and rear side walls with. Ion 'tudinally extending ports e, e respective y, and manually controlled: valves, 5, f fi-tting said ports. v

, A chambered housing B is'loca-ted, 'at the back side of the counter, the same extending upwardly and longitudinally of it, as clearly shown in Fig, 3. Within the housing are mounted a plurality of connected horizontal pipes, or coil, h, in which circulates the refrigerating or coolin medium conducted thereto from any suita le source oi supply. As drawn, the cold brine or refirigeratingfluid is introduced intothe up, per pipe h of the coil via. inlet-pipe h and after circulating through the coil is re turned to the source of supply via the bottomor discharge pipe h. I prefer to. provide the housing-chamber w th a vertical partition .ol, thereby dividing it into the freezing chamber proper, 9, containing said coil and an air duct 6 in open connection at the bottom with. said passage 0, and terminating at the top in an opening e 'discharging directly into the upper portion of the freezing chamber. A discharge opening 03 is formed in the lower portion of the trout wall d of the last-named chamber; 1' prefor also to line the latter with suitable metal and at the same time provide a shal low, pan-like bottom adapted to. prevent an overflow of dri -Water therefrom into the main chamber A small drip-pipe d is in open connection. with the pansbase for obvious purposes. The counter proper may be removably secured to or rest upon a cabinet-like base D, provided with a sub-chamber E; accessato which is through a rear door E Fig. 3.

The side walls, as well as the floor It, of chamber E are suitably lined and protected soas to insulate: or guard the chamber from the action of the normally higher tempera- L the said base air-duct c and flows-uninter- "Tuptedly therein to and into the Vertical ture of the surrounding outer a r.

The chamber E may be utilized at all times for containing butter, lard, cheese, etc. When desired, however, the coolingair from the freezing chamber may be deflected downward from the chamber A into chamber E, the air insuch case completing its circulation by passing from the latter chamber via open ducts e e, and e into the freezing chamber again, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. The means represented for operatively controlling the said valves f, 7' may be described as follows: A rod m located in chamber E and disposed transversely of the counter, is mounted in bearin m, secured to the underside of the floor 6 its free end extends through the rear wall and an outer bearing m and ter-' minates in a handle element m. Each valve is hinged and adapted so that when it is dropped or closed a free, open passage 0 is rovided for the flow of air as indicated in ig. 3. Each valve is jointed to a link, which inturn is jointed to a collar adjustably secured to the rod. In order to provide for variations in the angular movements of the connections, the front link, Z may be slotted. 'A dog or stop 7', adj ustably secured to the rod, may be employed, if desired. The valves may be secured in a partly open position throu h the medium of the set-screw m*. In ieu of making each port to extend singly longitudinally of the counter, it, as well as the valve, may be divided into two or more members or sections, as indicated in Fig. 5. If desired, the chamber 0 itself may be correspondingly divided by means of a partition 0 as shown in said figure. Assuming now that a circulation of refrigerating fluid, as cold brine, is maintained in the coil or ipin .h, and that the lower ports, e, 0 are Eep't c osed by the respective valves (see Fig. 3), the manner of operation is substantially as follows: The air as it flows outward from the bottom discharge-opening d of the freezing chamber 9 into the main cooling chamber A has a relatively low temperature and is comparatively dry, and also heavier than the outer surrounding normal air. The out- I flowing air circulates along the base of passage 0.

chamber A by gravity and enters the base During its forward movement the air becomes somewhat warmer by mingling with the said normal air of higher temperature in the chamber A and at the same time absorbs more "or less moisture from it; the result being to lower the temperature of air in the chamber. The latter temperature is obviously higher than that of the air flowing from the discharge-opening (2 The thus cooled air passes from chamber A via the bottom opening 11 into flue e, and discharges into the top of chamber g; the air its passage through the latter chamber is relieved of its moisture by contact with the outer surface of the pipes h, so that it again flows from the discharge outlet, d? in a cold, dry condition, as first stated. The moisture thus absorbed or extracted collects on the pipes in the form of frost, as is well known. The arrows in Fig. 3' clearly indicate the course otthe air circulation.

By simply pulling the rod or rods m outward, as represented in Fig. 4, thereby closing the passage 0 and uncovering the ports, thecold air will be diverted through front opening I) and adjacent port e into the sub-chamber E; from the latter the moving air passes upward through the rear port e and into the freezing'chamberg, as before stated. In this case, the air operates to cool provisions, etc., in the mam counter chamber A, and at the same time is utilized to decrease the temperature in the lower chamber E.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patent:

1. In a counter of the character described, provided with suitably mounted glass protecting plates constituting walls arranged to form the main chamber proper adapted to receive and display therein rovisions or other articles to" be refrigerate and having a-hollow or chambered bottom wall or floor part communicating with the main chamber, the combination therewith of a housing constructed to form a casing chamber located along one side of and communicating communicating with the said hollow part of the main chambers base and the upper portion of the casing chamber containing said piping, whereby cooled air flowing from thelast named chamber into the main chamber passes from the latter via its hollow base into the casing chamber to be recooled, thus producing an automatic circulation of air.

2. In a refrigerating-counter having glass side and top plates arranged to-form a main or refrigerating-chamber proper, and a hollow floor part forming the bottom of and being in open communication with said chamber, the combination therewith of a casing forming a chamber located immediately above said floor and provided with an air-inlet passage in open communication With the discharge end of the floor-chamber l In testimony whereof I have afiixed my and the upper irtign of the clasi fig-chamsignature in presence of two Witnesses.

er,-' an opening ea ing direct y mm the t r v lower'portion of the last-named chamber JOMLPH MONETIE' into the main chamber, and piping disposed Vitnesses:

in the casing-chamber adapted for the cir- GEO. H. REMINGTON,

eulation of a liquid refrigerating medium. CALVIN-H. BROWN. 

